Category: African American Studies

Watch: Demo of Enhanced Ebook of Give My Poor Heart Ease, by William Ferris

See the features of the enhanced ebook for Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues, by William Ferris. Features include embedded video & audio. Continue Reading Watch: Demo of Enhanced Ebook of Give My Poor Heart Ease, by William Ferris

North Carolina’s eugenics history: Testimonies from victims (video)

Rock Center with Brian Williams airs a story about North Carolina’s history of state-ordered sterilizations, featuring audio recordings of social workers involved in the program that were uncovered in Johanna Schoen’s research on the subject in the 1990s. Continue Reading North Carolina’s eugenics history: Testimonies from victims (video)

Montford Point Marines Receive Highest Congressional Honor

The black Marines who integrated the last all-white branch of the U.S. military receive Congressional honor. The book The Marines of Montford Point tells their stories. Continue Reading Montford Point Marines Receive Highest Congressional Honor

On the MLK Memorial–Celebrating “A Day That Would Not Be Denied”

Here are some beautiful images of the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, as well as a thoughtful meditation by UNC Press author Blair L. M. Kelley on the subject of King’s work and legacy. Continue Reading On the MLK Memorial–Celebrating “A Day That Would Not Be Denied”

The Lost History of the Cherokee Freedmen Controversy

Today, over at the First Peoples blog, UNC Press author Celia Naylor writes about the history and current events surrounding the Cherokee freedmen controversy. In particular, she draws our attention to the historical import of the Dawes Commission, especially as regards sovereignty, race, and citizenship. Continue Reading The Lost History of the Cherokee Freedmen Controversy

Congratulations to Tiya Miles, 2011 MacArthur Fellow

We’re thrilled to offer our heartiest congratulations to historian Tiya Miles for being awarded a 2011 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (aka the “Genius Grant”). Miles is the author of “The House on Diamond Hill: A Cherokee Plantation Story”. From the announcement: “A scholar of range and promise, and increasingly an authoritative voice in reframing and reinterpreting the history of our diverse nation, Miles is adding texture and depth to the mosaic that was our shared past and that is our heritage.” Continue Reading Congratulations to Tiya Miles, 2011 MacArthur Fellow

Jill Ogline Titus: Back-to-School Reflections

Jill Ogline Titus reflects on how Prince Edward Co., VA, responded to Brown vs. BoE by closing all public schools for 5 years to avoid integrating them. Continue Reading Jill Ogline Titus: Back-to-School Reflections

Rebecca de Schweinitz: More Than Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream

Rebecca de Schweinitz looks at the many people who share Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision as we approach the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington. Continue Reading Rebecca de Schweinitz: More Than Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream

Historians on ‘The Help’: Vanessa May and Rebecca Sharpless Respond

Historians Vanessa May and Rebecca Sharpless discuss what’s wrong and what’s right with ‘The Help.’ Continue Reading Historians on ‘The Help’: Vanessa May and Rebecca Sharpless Respond

Marvin McAllister: Margaret Bowland and Janasia Smith: Subject and Artist at Play

Like the estranging whiteface minstrels and stage Europeans throughout African American performance history, Bowland’s portraits invite us to view whiteness with fresh and open eyes. Continue Reading Marvin McAllister: Margaret Bowland and Janasia Smith: Subject and Artist at Play

Marvin McAllister: Idris Elba ‘Multi-Levels’ THOR: Norse Mythology Meets Yoruba Cosmology

Historian Marvin McAllister explores the racial and mythical dimensions of casting a black British actor in the role of a Norse god in the recent film THOR. Continue Reading Marvin McAllister: Idris Elba ‘Multi-Levels’ THOR: Norse Mythology Meets Yoruba Cosmology

Philip Rubio comments on black unemployment & the legacy of segregation

Philip F. Rubio, postal worker-turned-history scholar and author of There’s Always Work at the Post Office: African American Postal Workers and the Fight for Jobs, Justice, and Equality, has recently lent his expertise on race issues in government employment and especially the postal service in two very different but equally fascinating news outlets.  In a recent Huffington Post feature, “Black… Continue Reading Philip Rubio comments on black unemployment & the legacy of segregation

Brian D. Behnken: Vanquishing Race by Banishing Words?: Ethno-racial Designations and the Problem of Postracialism

The problem with postracialism is that it doesn’t jibe with reality and, despite the best intentions of its advocates, it obscures and constricts the multifaceted nature of identity. Continue Reading Brian D. Behnken: Vanquishing Race by Banishing Words?: Ethno-racial Designations and the Problem of Postracialism

A UNC Press Reading List to Accompany the PBS series “Black in Latin America”

The UNC Press reading list to accompany Henry Louis Gates Jr’s PBS documentary series “Black in Latin America.” Continue Reading A UNC Press Reading List to Accompany the PBS series “Black in Latin America”

EPIC SALE TIME!!

It’s EPIC SALE TIME! Over 700 UNC Press books are on sale! Read more about the huge deals here. Continue Reading EPIC SALE TIME!!